Exploding shotgun projectile



3,fi62,l44 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,062,144 EXPLODING SHOTGUN PROJECTILE Katsu Kenneth Hori, 6442 Magnolia Ave, Chicago 40, Ill., and Tow Hori, 2919 11th St., and Makoto Hori, 3671 S. Raymond Ave., both of Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed July 2, 1956, Ser. No. 595,245 6 Claims. (Cl. 102-33) The present invention relates to exploding projectiles. More particularly the invention contemplates an exploding projectile which may be shot from a shotgun shell.

The utility of the invention is principally agricultural in nature. It is well known that although our game laws protect birds and other wild life, the same laws permit such wild life to destroy valuable crops. For this reason farmers and orchard owners are constantly looking for devices to scare such wild life from their crops, and yet not harm the wild life.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an exploding projectile which may be fired from a standard shotgun which effectively and harmlessly frightens protected wild life from agricultural crops and other areas where the presence of the wild life proves undesirable.

A related object of the invention is to furnish such an exploding projectile for frightening game which produces two explosions, the first to stir the game, and the second remote explosion to frighten.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrative embodiment proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view showing a usage to which the invention may be put.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a projectile illustrative of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the projectile shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the projectile shown in FIG. 2 illustrated on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of the projectile shown in FIG. 4 taken along section lines 55 of FIG. 4 and portrayed in large scale.

The specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, and to be described in detail hereinafter, contemplates five principal elements. These elements are a casing or housing, a detonator at the base of the housing, a propellant charge, a projectile which is charged with flash powder, and a fuse which is ignited by the propellant charge and which explodes the projectile at a predetermined time delay when the projectile is over the area of action. Normally the fuse is timed to explode the projectile about three seconds after it is fired. When shot from a conventional shotgun elevated at about 25 from the horizontal, the projectile will explode about 150 yards from the point where the shell is fired.

. Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a typical usage of the projectile. There it will be seen that the farmer 1 is pointing a shotgun 2 upwardly over a planted field 3. After the projectile is fired, it moves upwardly on a trajectory 4 which carries it approximately 100 to 150 yards away from the farmer 1. In approximately 3 seconds after the projectile is fired, it explodes with a sharp crack and emits a large flash 5 in the air over the field 3. The combination of the flash and explosion will frighten the birds 6 away from the field. In practice it has been observed that the larger game birds, such as ducks and geese, will not return to the same field for at least a day after a shot has been fired into the flock. The rate of return of other birds and wild life can be determined by the custom in the particular locale,

and the projectile fired at sufiicient intervals to keep seedlings and crops ready for harvest free from damage by the wild life. Because no pellets are employed in the charge which is fired, there is as a practical matter little danger to the wild life unless the projectile should hit them directly. This can be controlled to a substantial extent by the farmer or other person firing the projectile.

As will be seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the projectile assembly 10 has the external configuration of a shotgun shell. Normally a twelve-gauge size is found most desirable since that is one of the most common sizes of shotguns normally available on most farms and like agricultural operations. It will be appreciated, of course, that the projectile assembly 10 may be adapted for usage on other gauge guns as well. The projectile assembly 10, to the casual observer, has the identical casing 11 and detonator base 12 of a shotgun shell.

The heart of the invention lies in the arrangement of the components within the projectile assembly 10. Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the casing 11 is a tubular member, normally formed of a heavy grade paper or similar stock. The casing 11 is rolled inwardly at its forward end 14 providing -a shoulder 15 which supports the end cap 16. At the base end 18 of the cas ing 11 the casing seat 12 overlaps the casing base 18 and is held in place by means of a knurled band 19. A percussion cap assembly 20 is located in the center of the casing seat and filled with a primer charge 21 which may be in the form of fulminated mercury such as commonly associated with shotgun shells.

The percussion cap is surrounded by an annular plug 23 formed of a rolled paper composition, the plug having an annular seat 22 at its central portion. The hollow annulus 24 at the center of the plug 21 is proportioned to nestingly engage the primer cap assembly 20. A propellant charge 25 (see FIG. 4) is filled over the percussion collar 23 and extends to the propellant charge washer 26. The propellant charge washer is associated with a fuse washer 28, both the propellant washer and fuse washers 26, 28 having hollow central bores 29, 30 which are proportioned to accommodate the fuse 31 which extends from the projectile assembly 32. The fuse 31 has an external heavy wrapped casing 34 which encloses the fuse powder charge 35, and extends inwardly into the projectile assembly 32 and outwardly into the propellant charge 25. It will be seen that the end of the fuse casing 34 which projects the propellant charge 25 has been flared out into a flanged end portion 36 so that the fuse powder 35 is in direct contact with the propellant powder 25. The fuse assembly 34 is secured in place in the projectile assembly 32 by means of a glued portion 38 which abuts the fuse end 39 of the projectile.

The projectile itself contains an end fuse plug 40 which through its hollow central portion 41 secures the fuse within the projectile assembly 32. The central portion of the projectile assembly 32 is filled with a powder 42, the projectile powder 42 preferably being a flash powder, the composition of which will be described hereinafter. At the outer end of the projectile assembly 32 :a circular washer 44 heads a cup-shaped end cap 45 which, in turn, is capped by a paper cover 46. The cup-shaped portion 45 of the projectile and its associated washer 44 form a chamber 48 which may or may not be filled with a powder charge 42 depending upon the amount of explosive desired in the projectile assembly 32.

The dimensions of the projectile assembly 32 are such as to preclude its becoming jammed in the shotgun barrel even when a full choke is employed in the shotgun. The fuse 31, as discussed above, is proportioned to delay igniting the projectile powder at 42 for approximately three seconds after the propellant charge 25 has been ignited.

To achieve the most desirable results as economically as possible, the propellant and exploding charges have been blended to particular proportions. The propellant charge is made up of two batches: a batch of smokeless powder and a batch of black powder. These are mixed in equal amounts in order to form the propellant powder. The following is the composition of the smokeless powder and black powder:

Smokeless Powder Percent Nitro cellulose 7984 Metallic nitrate 16/20 Others 0.2-0.7

Black Powder Percent Nitrate of kalium 70-80 Sulphur 8l2 Charcoal 13-17 The projectile charge 42 is made up of the following composition:

Projectile Charge Percent Potassium perchlorate 45-55 Aluminum 2025 Others 23-32 The potassium perchlorate and aluminum, being the major ingredients, give the explosion a break-flash and sharp report so that the wild life is frightened by both the noise and flash of light.

In review, it will be seen that the delayed exploding projectile described is simple in construction, and yet effective, safe and efficient. The propellant charge is proportioned to carry the projectile assembly to an area at a sufficient distance from the point of firing so that a large concentration of wild life may be frightened. The propellant charge serves a further purpose in creating the first explosion which usually stirs some game birds into flight.

The fused delay permits the operator to experiment with the height above the ground which he desires the projectile to explode. Because the components of the projectile are of thin-walled paper composition, there is no appreciable dispersion of shrapnel like particles to harm the wild life which the projectile is intended to frighten.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to the details of such embodiment. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative embodiments, usages and equivalents of the exploding shotgun projectile as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A delayed exploding gun projectile comprising, in combination, a tubular casing, a seat for the casing enclosing one end thereof, a percussion primer in the casing seat, a propellant powder charge in contact with the primer, a tubular projectile proportioned to fit within the casing in continuous intimate peripheral contact with the internal portion of the casing along the length of said projectile, a charge of powder within the tubular projectile, means retaining the tubular projectile within the casing, an annular washer separating the projectile from the propellant charge and a fuse having a flared end extending into contact with the propellant charge through the orifice in the annular washer which is ignited when the propellant charge burns, the fuse being imbedded in the projectile to ignite the powder in the projectile at a predetermined time delay following the firing of the projectile.

2. A delayed exploding shotgun projectile comprising, in combination, a tubular casing, a seat for the casing enclosing one end thereof, a percussion primer in the casing seat, a propellant powder charge in contact with the primer, a propellant powder retaining washer forward of the propellant charge having a central aperture, a fuse washer spaced forwardly of said propellant powder retaining washer and having a central aperture, a tubular projectile proportioned to fit within the casing in continuous intimate peripheral contact with the internal portion of the casing along the length of said projectile, a charge of flash powder within the tubular projectile, means sealing the tubular projectile within the casing at the forward end thereof, and a fuse proportioned to fit within the washer apertures extending into the propellant charge which is ignited when the propellant charge burns, the fuse being imbedded in the projectile to ignite the fiash powder in the projectile within three seconds following the firing of the projectile.

3. A delayed exploding shotgun projectile comprising, in combination, a tubular casing, a seat for the casing enclosing one end thereof, a percussion primer in the casing seat, a propellant powder charge in contact with the primer, a propellant powder retaining washer forward of the propellant charge having a central aperture, a substantially thick fuse washer having a central aperture and oriented forward of the retaining washer, a tubular projectile proportioned to fit within the casing in continuous intimate peripheral contact with the internal portion of the casing along the length of said projectile, a charge of flash powder within the tubular projectile, means sealing the tubular projectile within the casing at the forward end thereof, and a fuse proportioned to fit within the washer apertures extending into the propellant charge which is ignited when the propellant charge burns, the fuse being imbedded in the projectile to ignite the flash powder in the projectile within three seconds following the firing of the projectile.

4. A delayed exploding shotgun projectile comprising, in combination, a tubular casing, a seat for the casing enclosing one end thereof, a percussion primer in the casing seat, a propellant powder charge in contact with the primer, a propellant powder retaining washer forward of the propellant charge having a central aperture, a fuse washer having a central aperture and oriented forward of the retaining washer, a tubular projectile proportioned to fit within the casing in continuous intimate peripheral contact with the internal portion of the casing along the length of said projectile, a charge of flash powder within the tubular projectile, means sealing the tubular projectile, within the casing at the forward end thereof, and a fuse proportioned to fit within the washer apertures extending into the propellant charge which is ignited when the propellant charge burns, the end of the fuse in contact with the propellant charge being flared to facilitate ignition, the fuse being imbedded in the projectile to ignite the flash powder in the projectile within three seconds following the firing of the projectile.

5. A delayed exploding shotgun projectile comprising, in combination, a tubular casing, a seat for the casing enclosing one end thereof, a percussion primer in the easing seat, a propellant powder charge in contact with the primer, a propellant powder retaining washer forward of the propellant charge having a central aperture, a substantially thick fuse washer spaced forwardly of said proellant powder retaining washer and having a central aperture, a tubular projectile proportioned to fit within the casing in continuous intimate peripheral contact with the internal portion of the casing along the length of said projectile, a charge of flash powder within the tubular projectile, means sealing the tubular projectile within the casing at the forward end thereof, and a fuse proportioned to fit within the washer apertures extending into the propellant charge which is ignited when the propellant charge burns, the fuse being imbedded in the projectile to ignite the flash powder in the projectile Within three seconds following the firing 0f the projectile.

6. A delayed exploding shotgun projectile comprising,

in combination, a tubular casing, a seat for the casing enclosing one end thereof, a percussion primer in the casing seat, a propellant powder charge in contact with the primer, a propellant powder retaining washer forward of the propellant charge having a central aperture, a fuse washer spaced forwardly of said propellant powder retaining washer and having a central aperture, a tubular projectile proportioned to fit within the casing in continuous intimate peripheral contact with the internal portion of the casing along the length of said projectile, a charge of flash powder within the tubular projectile, means sealing the tubular projectile within the casing at the forward end thereof, and a fuseproportioned to fit within the Washer apertures extending into the propellant charge which is ignited when the propellant charge burns, the end of the fuse in contact with the propellant charge being flared to facilitate ignition, the fuse being imbedded in the projectile to ignite the flash powder in the projectile within three seconds following the firing of the projectile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

